Not that long ago, ITT announced that it would return to its ideological origins and talk more openly about socialism. That must have been a short-lived turn to the left, as socialist critiques seem to once again have disappeared from the pages of this magazine.

I have long tried to puzzle out the ideological perspective behind Achy Obejas’ columns that are consistently critical of the Cuban Revolution. But there is no question of the ideological perspective embodied in her April column on Venezuela. The “can’t we all just get along” is not a left or socialist or even a progressive perspective, but a liberal one. Venezuela most definitely does have its share of problems, and these cannot be understood outside of the dynamics of a class struggle.

In Venezuela, the wealthy classes are fighting those who would dare challenge their privileged status by attempting to redistribute resources to the poor. Of course this results in conflict. Simply calling for a “conversation” makes as much sense as seeing a conversation as the solution to the Republican war on workers in the United States.

Yes, talking is important, but the right wing in Venezuela has made it clear that they are not interested in dialogue. They only want the removal of the Maduro so that they can resume conservative polices of an upward redistribution of wealth.